bowlsby



GEORGE W. BOWLSBY. OI MONROE, MICHIGAN.

Letters Patent No: 76,153, plated March 31, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN GOVERNMENT REVENUE-STAMPS.

digs Stimuli ttitftti in m tlgrsr Esters Elation rut uniting grant of tigevsrmt.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

I Be it known that I, GEORGE W. BowLsBY, of the city and'county of Monroe, and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Government Revenne-Starnps; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying. drawings, and to the letters of reference thereon.

The nature of myinvention consists in making'aGovernment stamp on thin, fine, tender paper, easily torn, and of sufficient breadth and length to cover; entirely the longest sides of a cigar-box, all four of them, and as much more as will cover again the top of the cigars, upon theinsideoi' the box, of the usual size, or of difl'erent sizes, to suit thedi'fierent dimensions of cigar or other boxes, upon which are printed the proper engravings,

entries, notices, and tiny other desirable matter. This stamp is then used as a lining to the box, one of the flaps always remaining intact, till the box is half emptied or more, to show its genuinenessfihe other being cancelled by the operation of lifting out the cigars from the box, when the remaining flap is torn in like man-- ner. To this stamp-lining all the cigars in the box are i'ustened by gumm'ing, the lower half, or less, of the cigars being gummed to one side of the box and paper stamp, the upper half, or more than half, to the other side, or they may be gu mnicd all to one side, but the first is the better way, securing the destruction of the whole of the stamp.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation. In'the annexed drawings.

Figure 1 is the stamp.

Figure 2is the box with the two flaps projecting.

Figure 3 is the stamp in process of cancellation.

Similar letters of reference .are for like parts. I

In fig. 1, a is one flap of the stamp dropping over the top of the cigars, under the lid of the box, and contains, in print and writing, whatever is deemed necessary ,or useful by the Government. 6 is the other flap, to drop in like manner in the other 'direction, in the same manner as the ordinary lining of cigar-bones generally. One of these flaps should always remain intact while the other is being cancelled, to show the genuineness of the stamp to the public, the inspector, detective, informer, and others; then the remaining flap or half oi the stamp is cancelled in the same manner.

It is better that the whole of the stamp should be covered by engraving, except the part resting on the bottom, Whi'ch'unused space, not subject to direct tearing, is better left bare of engraving, so that the parts cancelled will leave upon each cigar undoubted evidence of genuineness, while the bottom piece, left after cancella tion, will only be apiece of naked paper.

The manner of using my stamp is as follows: The stamp is laid into the box, so as to completely envelope the contents when the box is filled, with one flap lifting towards the lid, the other in the opposite direction, as

seen in fig. 2.. The cigars are then gummed at the end, either by touching the cut ends upon a. shallow vessel containing a thin depth of fluid gum, sufficiently strong to hold the cigar firmly to the'paper, when dry, or they may be taken in the hand by the lot, and coated with a brush upon the out ends, then filled into the box till half full, or less. Then the box is tipped and gentlyjarred in the direction to make the wet ends of-the cigars fall uponthe paper opposite'the cut and gummed ends. It is then left in that position to dry, when the box is filled in the samemanner to the top, the remainder of the contents being turned in the opposite direction, so thatthey will adhere to the other side. It is then ready to close.

The operation of cancellingisperformed by lifting the cigar from the box. As the gum sticks partially through, and fastens the paper to the sides of the box, it becomes impossible to get the cigars out in bulk, and therefore, whether getting'th'em out singly or in bulk, the stamp will certainly be cancelled. If the cigars. are lifted singly, they will tear the paper of the stamp up in strips and patches, thoroughly andperfectly cancelling the stamp, and carrying with them apiece, to show the genuineness of the stamp. If the gum upon the end of the cigar is objectionable to-the smoker, he may cut it voil. I

The stamps may be of different colors, as an indication of the quality of the goods, and to indicate to the eye at once the amount of tax per thousand. Thus, a green stamp, for instance, upon' high-priced cigars, a

brown stamp upon low-priced, and other colors for intermediate prices, varying by some established values, so that it would be an object to-the cigar-maker to use the high-priced stamps upon the high-priced goods, in order to enhance the value of the goods.

Other advantages of my stamp are that it becomes a .neat lining to the box and covering for the goods, and is quickly and cheaply and neatly applieddirect to the goods, instead of the packages; is impossible of cancellotion, and unobjecticnable in the matter of damage to the goods, but is rather a protection to them, as it holds the cigars from rolling about, without either hurtful pressure or bundling; therefore keeping them in the neat, round, original shape, as first made, instead of the unsightly angular shape of the crowded article. It also makes it less convenient to the careless customer to handle over many cigars to the injury of the goods. .The cigars cannot possibly be consumed but by the destruction of the stamp. Even if a customer buys the whole box, he cannot use them without completingits destruction. Nothing is left, therefore, to chance or dishonesty.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is' I 1. Stamping the cigars themselves, in bulk, substantially as described, or any colorable modification of the same, in contradistinction to stamping the box as now done.

2. A stamp so made as to be adapted to said purpose, and substantially as described.

3. The stamping of cigars directly upon the cut ends, to prevent damage to the body of the cigar.

GEORGE W. BOWLSBY.

Witnesses: v

J. McKENNEY, E. WRIGHT HALL. 

